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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 2 Hansard (2 March) . . Page.. 512 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: They would if they could, as you well know, Mr Stanhope. As you well know, they would sell if they could.

Mr Stanhope: They had a look at you and decided that you were not up to it.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I have had nothing but interjections from Mr Stanhope and I am trying to answer his question.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MR HUMPHRIES: The fact is that there will not be a capacity for ACTEW to remain the same in the market when it changes. That is just inconceivable; it is utterly inconceivable. Even the secretary of the electrical trades union conceded on the radio this morning that there had to be significant changes. He said that there have to be changes to the way in which ACTEW is organised. He did not detail what those were, but he conceded that there had to be changes. I think we can see what the changes have to be. We have suggested that these changes result in ACTEW being able to enter into a strategic partnership with another major, reputable energy company in this country, an Australian-owned company, without the loss of the ultimate assets, because they would remain within the ACT's power to call back, and with the capacity to grow the size of the business and to reduce the risk at the same time. That is a sensible state of affairs.

MR SPEAKER: Do you have a supplementary question, Mr Stanhope?

MR STANHOPE: Yes, Mr Speaker. I asked for evidence and got nothing but supposition.

MR SPEAKER: I do hope that it will be comprehensive enough that you will not need to interject.

MR STANHOPE: Can the Treasurer say whether government officers attending industry forums on contestability have informed him of likely delays in the implementation of total competition in the national electricity market beyond the oft-quoted 1 July 2000 date? Is he aware, for instance, that South Australia will not be ready until some time in 2003? Is he aware that significant practical difficulties have been identified in New South Wales industry forums that will in all probability delay the introduction of contestability in that State until at least 1 January 2001? Is he aware that only Victoria has indicated that it is prepared to open its domestic market from July this year? If he is aware of those things, is it not the case that the only reason the Government relies on the 1 July contestability argument is to instil a sense or urgency into its rush to sell half of ACTEW and that the argument is based on a false premise?

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, no doubt the Labor Party members have been desperately raking through Hansards, press releases and so on in the last little while trying to find a statement from me to the effect that there will be deregulation from 1 July 2000. Of course, you have not found it, have you? I have never said that there would be deregulation on 1 July 2000. I have certainly drawn attention to the changed tax arrangements from 1 July 2000, but I have never said that there would be deregulation of the energy market in the ACT from 1 July 2000. In fact, the date I have always used - - -

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